Chromatic glissando keyboard and method of playing the same



March 1929- c. FREBORG ET AL 1,706,604

CHROMATIC GLISSANDO KEYBOARD AND METHOD OF PLAYING THE SAME Filed Jilly192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 gnve'nto'fb I I March 26, 1929.

c. FREBORG ET AL 1,706,604

CHROMATIC GLISSANDO KEYBOARD AND METHOD OF PLAYING THE SAME Filed July1, 1927 2 Sheets-$heet 2 I I" l0 I7 I l "H W53 ,1, H I I 27 25 I $511their Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' CHARLES FREBORG AND CASPER JELLY, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TOTHE STARR PIANO COMPANY, OE RICHMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

CHROMATIC GLISSANDO KEYBOARD AND METHOD OF PLAYING THE SAME.

Application filed July 1, 1927. Serial No. 202,807.

This invention relates to keyboards and to a method of playing achromatic glissando.

Among the objects of this invention resides the purpose of enabling oneto play a chromatic glissando on a keyboard of the piano type. Theglissando as generally used in piano playing comprises a direction usedin pianoforte passages in which the back of the finger is made to slidealong the tops of the white keys thereby producing a very brilliantscale. \V e have conceived of the desirability of producing a chromaticglissando with that class of musi cal instruments having keyboardssimilar to piano keyboards. In this type of keyboard the feat hasheretofore been impossible because of the fact that the strikingsurfaces of the black keys are normally disposed at a higher elevationthan the striking surfaces of the white keys.

In order to accomplish the purpose primarily stated we have developedvarious modifications by which a chromatic glissando may be played on akeyboard having keys of various heights such as a piano keyboard. Theembodiment of the primary objects in these various modificationscomprises further objects of our invention.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter from a detaileddescription of the invention and from the drawings.

Fig. 1 is an elevation across a keyboard illustrating one means by whicha chromatic glissando may be played.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a keyboard having auxiliary keys above theordinary keyboard.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a keyboard with auxiliary keys placed beneaththe ordinary keyboard.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are details illustrating the various elements used forproducing the rollers illustrated in the remaining figures.

In order to play a chromatic glissando it is necessary that a keyboardbe so modified or originally constructed to enable one to cause rapidand successive depression of keys of a chromatic scale, the movementbeing similar to the playing of a glissando.

To enable one to play a chromatic glissando we propose a line of fingerreceiving bearmg surfaces at the same level for successive keys. Tofacilitate ease in playing, the bearing surfaces may be in the form offreely rotatable rollers, but plain flat surfaces could be substituted,if desired. \Ve also contemplate the use of bearing surfaces of the samecolor or of different colors, such as black surfaces to correspond withthe black keys and white surfaces to correspond with the white keys.

As far as the ordinary keyboard is concerned the drawings disclose theusual type of white keys 10 and black keys 11 mounted upon a balancerail 12 which is in turn secured to a key frame 13. These keys bear uponthe felt washers at the lower ends of balance rail pins 14, 15 and therear ends of each of the keys are connected to their respective pianoactions through the abstracts 16. The simplest application of theinvention is illustrated in Fig. l which shows a keyboard having eachindividual key provided with a rotatable roller 17 mounted thereon. Therollers are aligned on the same level and just to the rear of thevertical rear surface of the black keys and they may be mounted uponeach successive key of the en tire keyboard or upon any plurality ofsuccessive keys at one section of the keyboard. Just to the rear of theline of rollers there is disposed a finger guide strip 18 having arecessed space 19 cut out so that the rear vertical surfaces and rearbrackets of the rollers may be concealed. The finger guide strip servesto facilitate locating the various rollers and also gives assistance inhelping the player to keep his finger passing along a plurality ofsuccessive rollers. The ordinary ar rangements for covering the keys,which is known as the fall board or cove, is not illustrated, but it isbe understood that when such an arrangement is used it is to be recessedso as to provide suflicient room above the finger guide strip foraccommodating the hand while a chromatic glissando is being played. Itis readily understandable that finger guiding surfaces may be made informs other than that of a roller, but we have illustrated a rollerbecause Wefind that it gives the best results. The rollers may be madeof solid material such as ivory, celluloid, ebony or in the mannerillustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The diameter of the core of the rolleris of a gradually reducing length from the ends of the core to itsmidsection whereby a trough is formed and a players finger may becomfortably accommodated. Each core is covered with a flexible coversimilar to rubber tubing 21 which may be fastened to the core ends byglue or similar material if desired. The tubing 21 preferably has aninternal diameter which is less than the external diameter of the coreends and greater than the mid-section diam eter of the core. Thisrelation produces a cushioning surface which is efficient as such byreason of the material used and because of the free space about themid-section of the core. A pin 22, passing through the center of theroller, is journalcd at its ends in a bracket 23 and the bracket issecurely fastened to a key, Fig. l, by means of a screw 24. It isapparent that the addition of the rollers to the ordinary keyboard woulddisturb balance of the keys and hence the touch of the piano. therefore,it is necessary that the touch be adjusted by rebalancing the keys withkey leads as ordinarily done for different length keys. It is to beobserved, however, that the arrangements for permitting the playing of achromatic glissando may be placed inside the ordinary piano case withoutundo changes therein.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of our invention in thatauxiliary keys 24, 25 are added above the keys 10 and 11 of the ordinarykeyboard. These auxiliary keys are supported upon a balance rail 25' andbalance rail pins 26 together with pins 27 serve to maintain theauxiliary keys in proper positions. The forward end of each of the keysis provided with a roller 17 similar to the roller which has just beendescribcd. This roller is mounted upon a pin or shaft 28 which extendsforwardly from the end of an auxiliary key. The vertically extendingflange of the key slip 29 may be used, if desired for the purpose ofholding the various rollers 17 upon their shafts 28. The rear ends ofthe auxiliary keys 24, 25 may be connected in any desired manner torespective piano actions. Each is illustrated as being associated withan abstract 30 by means of a guide screw 31 passing through lug 32extending from the abstract. The lower end of this screw engages abutton 33 carried by and at the rear end of an auxil iary key. Eachauxiliary key has a spring 34 which prevents it from moving when aregular key is played in the ordinary manner.

It is to be noted that the type of arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3and 4 affords a mechanical advantage effective upon the aux iliary keyswhich is greater than the mechanical advantage obtainable by thearrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The piano keyboard illustrated in Fig. 5 is of the general type and haswhite keys 10 and black keys 11. In this arrangement the auxiliary keys35 are pivotally mounted at 36 beneath the ordinary keyboard. The frontend of each of these keys is connected with a wire 37 to a roller 38which is mounted upon a bracket at the upper end of the wire. 'A hole 39provided in each of the rdinary keys in order to permit the wire to passfreely therethrough. A hole 40 likewise extends through the key framefor the same purpose. The rear end of each auxiliary key 35 hasconnected thereto a dowel or wire 41 having a cap 4:2 at. its upper end.This cap is so fashioned as to contact a striker 43 on the under surfaceof the rear end of a ordinary key. lVhenever the piano is played in theordinary manner the cap 42 and the striker 43 will separate as each keyis depressed. Vhen playing a chromatic glissando the movement of therollers 33 will be transmitted through wire 37, auxiliary key 35, wire41 to the rear end of an ordinary key and thence to the abstract, 44. Ifdesirable the lengths and ratios of the lever arms of the auxiliary keysplaced below the keyboard could be varied so as to enable the rollers tobe placed in the key slip in front of the white keys and below theirlevel. As in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, it is possibleto vary the mechanical advantage obtained on the auxiliary keys 35. Forthis purpose the pivot 36 could be moved either forwardly or rearwardly.

These various embodiments of my invention are adaptable or may bemodified for the purpose of adapting them for use with any kind of akeyboard, whether it be for a grand piano, upright piano, player piano,reproducing piano or organ. In the various embodiments which we haveshown it is not proposed to shorten the space allowed for the sharp orwhite koy. However, it would be practical to do so and by so doing agreatcr degree of depression could be had and some persons mightconsider this advisable. here player pianos or so-called reproducingpianos included a manual chromatic glissando it would be possible toarrange an electrical or pneumatic means of obtaining a chromaticglissando by having auxiliary ports or connections over which the tingcrmightbe passed. ()ur invention is capable of a wide variation andrelationship of parts without departure from the nature and principlethereof. and we do not restrict. ourselves unessentialiy in theforegoing or other particulars, but contemplate such alterations andmodifications within the scope of the appended claims as may be found tobe advisable.

What we claim is:

1. A chromatic glissando keyboard comprising a plurality of keys havingfinger ill) receiving surfaces, and a. member extending lengthwise ofthe keyboard and having a portion thereof vertically disposed andadjacent a continuous edge of said finger receiving, surfaces.

2. A chromatic glissando keyboard for a piano comprising a plurality ofsuccessive keys having finger receiving surfaces. and a finger guidestrip running along the keyboard adjacent said finger receivingsurfaces.

A piano keyboard having a roller mounted upon each key of said keyboard,said rollers being normally in alignment with their axes substantiallyparallel to each other, and a member extending lengthwise of thekeyboard andhaving a portion thereof opposite one end of each of theseveral rollers.

4. A plurality of keys comprising sets of keys of difierent heights, anauxiliary keyboard having keys corresponding to keys of said sets ofkeys, one key of the auxiliary key and one key of said sets of keyscomprising a pair of keys, a plurality of actions, one of said actionsbeing under the control of a pair of keys, and finger receiving meanscarried by the keys of said auxiliary keyboard whereby movement of afinger over the same produces successive actuation of said actionsirrespective of their relation to I keys of different heights of said ofkeys.

A piano keyboard, an auxiliary keyboard, one key of the auxiliarykeyboard being provided for each key of the piano keyboard, a pair ofsaid keys being adapted to control a common action, and means forenabling successive depression of a series of auxiliary keysirrespective of the association of any auxiliary key with a flat orsharp key of the piano keyboard.

In testimony whereof we hereto aflix our signatures.

CHARLES FREBORG. CASPER JELLY.

